Towel dispenser



F. L. .SARGENT.

TOWEL DISPENSER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 7, |92|-' 1,427,420, PatentedAug. 29, 192 2..

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

FREDERICK L. SARGENT, OF BURLINGAME;CALIFORNIA.

TO'WEL .DISEENSEB.

rear lac.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. SAR- GENT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Burlingame, county of San Mateo, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement ina Towel Dispenser, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in dispensers for paper towels and the like wherein provision is made fordispensing towels from an oscillating container directly to a dispensing slot.

Ihe primary object of my invention is to provide an improved dispensing device for paper towels and the like. p

Another object of my invention is to pro vide an improved container adapted'to-reduce the strain upon the towel during withdrawal. I

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved device of the character described wherein an. oscillating con tainer is arranged to dispense a toweldirectly through a dispensing slot to facilitate the withdrawal of the towel and to in-' sure the feeding of successive towels into.

dispensing position.

A further object is to provide an improved towel container adapted forremoval from a separate casing to facilitate the introduction thereinto of fresh supplies of towels.

A still further object is to'provide an improved device which will present a neat appearance and which maybe manufactured and installed at a low cost.

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the device disclosed in the drawings formingv a part of the present specification wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout said specificationand drawings, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section showing the towel container in normal position.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section showing the manner in which the towel container is oscillated by the withdrawal of a towel to dispense said towel directly through the dispensing slot.

Fig. 3 IS a vertical longitudinal section of my improved dispensing device.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 is used to designate in general a casing having a top 2 hingedly connected as at 3 and Specification of Letters Patent. Paterltad' A119,. 29,

Application filed November 7,1921. Serial No. 513,381.

provided ith an arcuate bottom 4 having a longitudinally disposed dispensing slot 6 formed therein.

Bearing slots 7 are formed at the top edges of the ends of the casing 1 in vertical alignment with the slot6, to receive and removably engagebearinglugs 8 formed at the top edges of a towel container 9 arranged to be suspended by said bearing lugs within the casing and adapted for oscillating movement therein. The container 9 is adapted to receive a plurality of interfoldedpaper towels 11 or other similar material, said towels being supported by inwardly turned edges 12 formed upon the sides of the container at the bottom edge thereof; said edges 12e'x tending inwardly sufli'ciently to' engage the edges ofthe towels. The container is open lhe casing 1 is arranged to be secured upon awall or other supporting surface by means of extensions 14 having apertures 15 adaptedto engage theheads of screws or other supporting elements, not shown. However the manner of supporting my dis. penser' does not form a material part of my present invention. The forward side of the casing is preferably rearwardly inclined as shown in the drawings in order to minimize the space between the container and the casing.- 1 j The top 2' is arranged to be secured in closed position by means of a 'hasp16 or other suitable securing means. lVhen the top is moved upon the hinge 3into anopen position the container may be filled directly or it may be removed-from the casing and filled at some more convenient place, as

desired. I

The operation of the device is as follows:

A supply of interfolded towels having been placed in the container, the container is placed in position within the casing 1 with the free end 17 of the lowermost towel 11 extending outwardly in normal dispensing position through the slot 6. l/Vhen itdesired to remove a towel, the end 17 is grasped and pulled away from the casing. As the end 17 is moved through the slot 6 the weight of the towels within the container resting upon the edges 12 will cause the container to be moved from the normal mid-position shown in full lines in Fig. 1

to theposition shown in dotted lines, thereby bringing the folded portion of the towel supported upon the edge 12 directly above the slot 6. A slight downward pull will now disengage the folded edge of the towel from the edge 12 of the container and it may be moved directly through the slot The edge of the succeeding towel interfolded within the first towel will be carried by said first towel through the slot and the towels remaining in the container will drop down and be supported by the edge 12 as before. The, container will swing back from its displaced position thereby moving the towel through the slot and feeding the free end of the succeeding towel into. normal dispensing position from which it may be withdrawn in the manner above described, the container being moved in the opposite direction to the posit-ion shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Successive withdrawals operate to oscillate the container above the slot 6 so that the folded edges supported upon. the edges 12 are dispensed directly through the slot 6. v

In my preferred construction illustrated in the drawings the bottom of the casing and the bottom of the container are both made arcuate in shape to describe circles drawn from the axis of the bearing lugs 8, only a slight clearance being allowed thereby insuring that the towels will not be crowded down out of engagement with the edges 12 of the container. The weig t of the towels is carried upon the edges 12 of the container and as the container will move freely upon its pivot bearings it is assured that the towel may be removed with a minimum strain upon the towel.

The device as described may be easily made of sheet metal at a moderate cost, and the finished device may be decorated to conform to its surroundings.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A paper towel dispenser comprising a casing having a dispensing slot in the bottom thereof; a towel container pivotally mounted within the casing and arranged to oscillate above said dispensing slot, said container being adapted tofireceive a plurality of interfolded towels, the free end of the lowermost towel normally extending outwardly through the slot; and means for supporting the towels within the container to permit oscillating movement thereof when said towel is withdrawn through the slot.

2. A paper towel dispenser comprising a casing having a dispensing slot in the bottom thereof; atowel container pivotally mounted within the casing and arranged to receive a plurality of interfolded towels, the free end ofthe lowermost towel normally extending outwardly through said slot; and inwardly turned edges formed upon the sides of the container at the bottom thereof to support the towels 'ithin the container to permit oscillating movement of the container when said lowermost towel is withdrawn through the slot whereby the lower most towel. and the inter-folded end of the succeeding, towel may be moved directly from the container through said slot.

3'. A paper towel dispenser comprising a casing provided with an arcuate bottom having a dispensing slot therein; a towel container pivotally mounted within the easing and arranged to receive aplurality of interfolded towels the free end of the lowermost towel normally extending. outwardly through said slot, said container being ar-, ranged to oscillate adjacentthe arcuate bottom of the casing; and inwardly turned edges formed upon the sides of the container at the bottom thereof to support the towels within the container to permit oscillating movement of the container when said lowermost towel is withdrawn through the slot whereby the lowermost towel and the interfolded end of the succeeding towel may be dispensed directly from the container through the slot.

4:. A paper towel dispenser comprising a casing having a dispensing slot formed in the bottom thereof and also having bearing slots formed upon the upper edges of the ends thereof; a towel container adapted to receive a plurality of interfolded towels, said container being provided with bearing lugs upon the ends thereof to engage the bearing slots in the casing whereby said container may be mounted for oscillating movement within the casing; means for supporting the towels within the container, the free end'of the lowermost towel normally extending through the dispensingslot to permit withdrawal thereof said withdrawal operating to oscillate the container to dispense the towel and the interfolded end of the succeeding towel directly through the dispensing slot;

5. A paper towel dispenser comprising a casing having a dispensing slot in the bottom thereof; a towel container removably mounted within the casing, and adapted for oscillating movement; and means formed integrallywith the container for supporting a plurality of interfolded towels therein, the lowermost towel having its free end normally extended through the dispensing slot to permit withdrawal through the slot, said withdrawal operating to oscillate the con tainer to dispense the towel and the interfolded end of the succeeding towel. directlv through the slot. u

6. A paper towel dispenser comprising a casing provided with a hingedly connected top and with an arcuate bottom, said bottom having a dispensing slot formed therein; a towel container removably mounted within the casing and adapted for oscillating movement therein; inwardly turned edges formed upon the sides of container at the bottom thereof to support a plurality of interfolded towels therein, the lowermost towel having its free end normally extended through the slot to permit withdrawal, said withdrawal operating to oscillate the container adjacent the arcuate bottom of the casing to dispense the towel and the interfolded end of the succeeding towel directly through the dispensing slot.

7 A paper towel dispenser comprising a casing provided with a hingedly connected top and an arcuate bottom, and having a dispensing slot formed in the bottom and bearing slots formed in the ends at the top; a towel container; bearing lugs formed upon the ends of the container to engage the bearing slots for removably mounting said container for oscillating movement within the casing; inwardly turned edges formed upon the sides of the container at the bottom thereof to support a plurality of interfolded towels, the lowermost towel having its free end normally extended through the dispensing slot to permit withdrawal therethrough, said withdrawal operating to oscillate the container adjacent the arcuate bottom of the casing to dispense the towel and the interfolded end of the succeeding towel directly through the dispensing slot.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature.

FREDER ICK L- SARGENT. 

